


you don't have to stay here, but you can't go home

by violetinfidel



Series: drabbles [11]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Genre: i dont remember when i wrote this but it was months ago at least, i found it while reading through some old google docs, i just really like writing nasty shadow, its a problem, so enjoy shadow being just an utter shit, this is actually pretty old?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 00:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15231705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetinfidel/pseuds/violetinfidel





	you don't have to stay here, but you can't go home

When Green comes to speak to him the first time, he comes in a swarm of guards, armored and armed to the teeth and looking very much like they mean business.

Shadow can’t blame them, but he doesn’t have to like it.

“What a welcome party,” He sneers, from his spot in the corner of the room. Calling the chamber a room is generous; it’s a prison cell, in all but name, the mirror pushed against the far wall and a poor excuse for a bed against the other. The lighting’s bad (well, good for  _ him _ ), the bars are caked with rust and it’s damp and dank and generally unpleasant, and Shadow thinks he could find better quarters in Vaati’s bath chambers.

“We had to take precautions,” Green says, sounding all too much the role of a leader.

What a farce. “Precautions,” He spits, and digs his claws into the cold unyielding stone beneath him. “You mean you had to call in animal control, yeah? Can’t have the princess’s spoil of war tearing her prized little pet to shreds, can we?”

Green scowls at him, and for a moment he thinks he’s provoked him into a fight; good, he thinks, let him come, he’ll rip him to pieces and all his entourage too, see how  _ they  _ like it.

“She wants to speak with you,” Green tells him, as levelly as he can manage, “Her and myself and the other three.”

Shadow laughs at that, a sharp, bitter laugh that’s harsh and utterly humorless. “You mean discussing my bonds, yeah? Prisoner of war and all, I don’t know what else I’d expect.”

“Shadow,” Green says, his tone half a warning (and half  _ pitying _ , like he’s in any sort of position to-!), “It isn’t like that.”

“Oh, really? I’m not a prisoner? I suppose you just give your most honored guests the dungeon chambers, then, yeah? Tell me, where’s she got you shacked up, the torture chamber?”

“You aren’t making this any easier for yourself.”

“What’s to make easier if I’m not a prisoner?”

“For Hylia’s sake,” Green mutters, and huffs a long-suffering sigh and looks very much like he’d rather not be dealing with this right now, “Shadow, we’re trying to offer you a lot more than most people think you deserve. If you won’t work with us then nothing’s going to happen.”

“May I ask,” Shadow says, voice dripping with false sweet sincerity, “What the  _ point  _ of all this is. If I don’t  _ deserve _ -” and he says this acidically, like the word is poison in his mouth- “whatever it is you’re trying to give me, then why are you bothering?”

The guards with Green look chagrined, to say the least. “Because we know better,” He tells him, and that’s as far as he gets before Shadow starts laughing again.

“Since  _ when, _ ” And he’s enunciating carefully, as though Green were stupid, “Have any of  _ you _ known  _ better _ ?”

Green scowls. “Well-”

“No, no,  _ Link _ , please, humor me- did you know better when you pulled that damned sword? Did you- did  _ any _ of you- know better when I came to the castle and took it over? Did you know better when Vaati impersonated Zelda? Did you even know better when you thought  _ Vio _ had betrayed you? You hardly even knew  _ yourself _ , so don’t for a  _ second  _ go thinking you know  _ me _ .”

Green seems speechless for a long moment, or at least he’s considering his options very carefully; a smart move, Shadow thinks, because the wrong one could land them in some serious trouble.

“I’m not going to make you,” Green says, finally, “But I think what we have to say is worth hearing.”

“You couldn’t  _ make me _ even if you tried,” Shadow scoffs, and stays firmly seated in his corner. “I’ll be blunt. I don’t trust you. You don’t trust me. Why the hell are we even bothering with this?”

“Because,” Green says, and takes a deep breath to steady himself (somehow he thinks snapping at Shadow won’t make this any easier), “There’s something to be gained for both of us, I think.”

“No, there’s something to be gained for  _ you _ by having  _ me _ on a leash. I get jack  _ shit _ .”

Green pinches the bridge of his nose and looks very much like Vio as he does it, which just pisses Shadow off even more. “If you won’t come with us then I’ll just bring them here.”

“Go right the fuck ahead. I still want nothing to do with you.”

One of the knights accompanying Green turns to him looking exasperated. “Green,” He says, patience thin, clearly wanting to do  _ something _ about Shadow, “He isn’t going to cooperate, clearly. This is… It’s a waste of time.”

“Metalhead’s got the idea,” Shadow says, very much reveling in the indignant look it earns him.

“Yeah, well, we didn’t get to be where we are now by just giving up.” Green’s quiet for a moment, then steps back and shuts the door to the cell. “This isn’t goodbye,” He warns, “I’ll be back with the others. We’re going to talk this over whether you like it or not.”

They don’t give him a chance to throw back a rude remark, stomping off down the corridor too loudly to be heard over, so he sits with his back against the twisted metal of the mirror’s frame and stews in his frustration. They’re too stupid to take hints and too stupid to even understand a very blunt statement, which is to say they won’t just screw off and leave him alone. What’s worse is whatever’s going on with the mirror; the energy it’s giving off is enough to keep him corporeal, but hardly much more, and it’s a closed door to him. He’s tried on several occasions to push through, to try to go back… well, he won’t call it  _ home _ , but somewhere else, at least. And it won’t let him. He pushes in and it pushes back against him. It used to be like putting his hand through a waterfall- there’s resistance, but with force he could get in easily enough. Now it’s a wall, and regardless of how much force he puts behind it, it sits there and does precisely nothing for him, useless scrap of glass and metal that it is.

He says as much, when Green, as promised, brings the others with him to visit him.

“Whoever was supposed to fix the mirror,” He complains, as caustically as he can, “Made a shit job of it. Stupid piece of garbage won’t even let me through anymore.” He kicks it, for effect (it hurts his foot), and goes to sit bitterly in the corner where he’s shoved his bed.

“That was intentional,” Zelda says, serenely, managing a particularly irritating air of grace even in this disgusting place. “We didn’t want you leaving before we had the chance to speak with you.”

Shadow huffs. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you this. I don’t want to be here. Are you getting that? You, can, piss, off,” He says, carefully enunciating each word, “Because I don’t want to talk to any of you, and  _ especially _ -” and he jabs a clawed finger in Vio’s direction- “Not  _ you _ , bastard.”

Vio scowls, but at least has the good sense to keep his mouth shut- that, or he’s thinking of something biting to say to him, but it’s all the same to Shadow.

They’ve brought extra chairs, and Zelda takes one, and, rather trustingly, she pulls it in the cell a good ways and takes a seat there. 

“Don’t,” Shadow says, before she can even start, but she ignores him.

“I don’t expect that you like us right now,” She says, which is a fairly reasonable statement, if a little stupid. “I understand you don’t want to be here.”

“Great, then let me leave!”

“But I feel you should at least hear me out,” She continues, oblivious to his grumbling, “Considering that I doubt you want very much to go back.” She doesn’t  _ say  _ it, doesn’t specify why she says that but he knows exactly where she’s getting that from and he hates her for being right about it. “I don’t know exactly what other options are available to you, but I believe ours may be the best in the long run.”

“How should I know whether that’s true? You’re talking up this special great exclusive offer without telling me what the hell it  _ is _ . Makes me think it isn’t very much at all.”

She looks him over, studies him a moment, and it makes him very uncomfortable to say the least. “I’m offering amnesty,” She says, “And they-” She gestures to the Links, standing protectively around her- “Are willing to give you a place among them.”

“Well,” Spits Shadow, very annoyed, “That’s presumptuous. Really a very bold assumption. Who says I  _ want _ amnesty? I know what I did. I won’t apologize for it and I’m not gonna beg for scraps. It’s said and done and I’m not gonna get on my knees and put myself at your mercy ‘cause you think you’ve got the moral high ground.”

“Even if you choose some other way of life here.” She seems open to negotiation, which is foolish, in his opinion. “Whatever your motives, you did help us,” She reminds him, as if he  _ needs _ reminding, “And I haven’t forgotten it.”

“Neither have I, and I’m pretty sure that means you  _ owe  _ me, so if you could just get this stupid mirror working so I can  _ leave _ then that’d be fantastic.”

“I don’t think that we owe you,” She says, a little sourly, but she keeps her tone pleasant, and if nothing else then he’s got to at least acknowledge her diplomatic skills, even if they don’t work on him. “Even so,” She continues lightly, “I’d like for you to stay a little while before you go back. If you choose to go back, that is.”

“You’re awfully sure of yourself.”

“I have reason to be.”

He sincerely doubts that, but finds himself grudgingly agreeing. Whatever it is she’s got planned can’t be much worse than having to be pulled  _ here _ .


End file.
